A new study suggests specific fruit, beans and green tea may help people reach flavanol levels linked to heart health, though benefits remain uncertain.
Choosing particular fruit, beans and drinks may matter as much as hitting a general five-a-day target when it comes to flavanols, compounds linked with heart and blood-vessel health, new research suggests.
The study, published in the journal Food and Function , examined diets and urine biomarkers from 30,000 people in the US and UK. Researchers reported that fewer than one in five people appeared to be getting about 500mg of flavanols a day, a level the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has described as beneficial for heart health.
Flavanols are antioxidants found in some plant foods. The researchers said they can support circulation and blood-vessel elasticity by reducing inflammation, but independent experts cautioned that it is not yet clear whether raising flavanol intake will prevent heart attacks, strokes or other cardiovascular events.
The foods highlighted as especially rich sources included plums, cranberries, blackberries, green tea, broad beans, cherries, apples eaten with the skin, strawberries, blueberries and pinto beans. Based on the researchers’ tests, a 500g punnet of plums contained about 450mg of flavanols, while a 250ml cup of green tea contained about 200mg and a small 80g handful of broad beans about 140mg.
Lead investigator Dr Javier Ottaviani said the findings suggest that simple food swaps could change how much of the compounds people absorb. “Most people assume that eating plenty of fruit and vegetables covers this, but what this research shows is that the specific choices you make matter far more than the total amount,” he said.
Prof Gunter Kuhnle, from the University of Reading, said the five-a-day message remained useful, but dietary advice could become more specific as understanding of different plant compounds improves.
The findings do not mean all high-flavanol products deliver the same benefit. The British Heart Foundation said flavanol levels can vary widely depending on where food is grown, climate, ripeness, storage and processing. Dell Stanford, from the charity, also noted that people’s gut bacteria differ, which may affect how flavanols are broken down and used by the body.
Chocolate is sometimes discussed as a source because cocoa contains flavanols, but the amount in commercial chocolate varies substantially. The British Heart Foundation said two or three squares of dark chocolate might contain 22mg to 73mg of flavanols, compared with 3mg to 7mg in a few chunks of milk chocolate. The source report also noted that the researchers have carried out flavanol studies with Mars Inc, which is investigating cocoa flavanol supplements.
Prof Naveed Sattar, a heart expert at the University of Glasgow, said small trials have shown some favourable effects on blood pressure, but that there is still no real evidence showing reductions in heart disease outcomes. Prof Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, a nutrition expert at King’s College London, said flavanol levels in fruit and vegetables can vary widely and should be explored further.
For now, the British Heart Foundation and the British Nutrition Foundation continue to advise people to support heart health by eating a balanced diet with a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.
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